Karin's Identity
by TheOpening
Summary: Tsunade tells Naruto a shocking fact. Picked up after the ending of Chapter 486. But the plot will surely thicken.
1. Chapter 1

They could hear the dull tapping of hammers and grinding of saws before they reached the top of the hill to view the village. The tiny villagers moved within, earnest in repairing the damage that Pain had inflicted.

'There is still more to be done…,' thought Naruto quietly, not feeling much of anything since his encounter with Sasuke.

As if the three companions sensed each other's need to pause, they simultaneously stopped at the top of the hill to survey the activity below.

Sakura glanced at Naruto. His shoulders drooped and his eyes were heavey. She had never seen him this serious and this distraught before. Was it because now they knew for certain that Sasuke was their enemy? She wanted to comfort him, but words seemed insufficient and empty. She wanted to touch his shoulder, but that would not help either. The last time she touched him she had lied about her love. How could she reach him now? How could she help him now? He kept his thoughts to himself as he looked down on Konoha—the village he would soon need to protect from Sasuke.

Kakashi met her eyes. It was the same calm, cool-headed gaze. Only for a moment they exchanged their mutual concern for Naruto, and then he looked away.

"Well," said Kakashi in his monotonous, feigning-indifference tone. "My nose tells me Icharaku is serving fresh bowls of ramen…"

Naruto didn't seem to hear.

" Let's go. It will be my treat."

The three friends began the long descent into Konoha. The closer they came, the stronger the smell of salty, soupy, seasoned ramen. The earth flattened out, and they turned into the gate of the village. The usual guards stood up and gave a warm greeting, but Sakura and Naruto forgot to respond. They were both preoccupied—Naruto with Sasuke, and Sakura with Naruto. Kakashi accepted the greeting with a wave and a light smile (only seen by the upturn of his closed eye), then continued on his way.

It soon became evident why the air was so thick with the smell of Ramen. It was in the middle of the afternoon and the cooks of the village were bringing large bowls directly to the work sites. One of the cooks carried a large round tray of ramen to the three arriving ninjas.

"Oh, hello Hinata," said Kakashi.

Sakura saw that it _was_ Hinata. She wore the standard apron of a waitress, and she was offering the tray to them. Her eyes shifted from Naruto to the tray, cowering a little while she explained in a soft voice, "E-everyone is being served f-free ramen, paid for by the Hokage. P-please, take one."

Hinata offered a shy smile. Naruto looked up at the sound of her voice.

"The Hokage?" said Naruto softly.

Hinata's cheeks reddened. She looked down as she clarified, "While you all were gone, Tsunade woke up. Just yesterday."

Naruto's eyes widened. His mouth followed, broadening into a smile, causing Hinata to blush and stare at the bowls of ramen on her tray, which began shaking slightly.

Sakura also brightened. "Master Tsunade is awake?!"

Without another word, Naruto was dashing down the street, weaving past the people in the crowds, toward the Hokage's office. Sakura followed after him. One hardly noticed the sigh of relief that Kakashi expelled, or the silent pang of sorrow that radiated from Hinata's eyes as she watched the boy disappear down the street.

"Thank you," said Kakashi with another one of his one-eyed smiles, accepting a bowl of ramen from Hinata's tray.

Hinata blinked and refocused her attention on the Jounin, smiling shyly. "I'm happy our Hokage is back," she said meekly. "The village celebrated a long time last night."

"I'm quite relieved myself," said Kakashi, thinking about the extra time he would have to read his book now that he wasn't the Hokage anymore.

"Hey! Naruto!"

Naruto stopped abrubtly and turned to see Ino. She was also wearing an apron and holding a tray, her eyes emanating worry. "You are probably in a hurry to see the Hokage but—"

Sakura caught up and stopped next to Naruto. She only had to look into Ino's eyes to know her question, and the elation from hearing about her master's recovery was swept into an ocean current of troubles from before. She did not want to tell Ino, and she could tell that Naruto had no desire to talk about it, either. She could see how much it pained him.

Yet that changed almost immediately. Naruto forced a smile and reached one of his arms over his shoulder to rub the back of his head. "Hehe, well, you know—you know Sasuke. He is really stubborn, isn't he?"

Ino tried to smile, but she couldn't hide her anxiousness as well as Naruto. "Yeah…"

Sakura's chest tightened at the sight of his bravely masked sorrow. She realized abruptly that she had the opportunity to carry a little of the burden for her friend.

"Naruto," she said lightly, "Tsunade is probably waiting for a report. You know that she can get very impatient."

His eyes focused on Sakura and softened, showing her silently that he knew what she was doing. His lips tightened, and he gave her an appreciative nod with serious eyes before running ahead, disappearing into the crowds.

Sakura approached Ino.

"Ino… we weren't able to get him back this time but…"

Naruto opened the door of the Hokage's office and beamed. "Glad that you are back to normal, Old Lady."

"Heh, did you doubt me?" She said with a wry smile, her hands folded on her desk, stacks of paper and folders piled there, untouched, as they usually were. Shizune was not with her. "It will take more than that to finish me. I'm a Sannin, after all. So show some respect."

Naruto released a large grin. "Still, it is good news."

"So I heard that you went to talk to the Raikage about Sasuke?"

Those words seemed to hex Naruto. His face fell into a serious frown, like a lighted window that was shut abruptly.

"Yamato brought a fellow accomplice of Sasuke into the village not too long ago, one named Karin," Tsunade continued, her tough expression softening slightly as she said, "He told me you met Sasuke." She looked him over, surprised to see that he wasn't injured. Last time the two met he was in the hospital for quite some time.

Naruto looked at the floor. It pained him to say, "He told me he killed Danzo."

Tsunade's eyes widened and her mouth parted slightly to take in a quick breath. "Danzo…" she whispered. She leaned back, dazed, and then stood up and stepped behind her large chair to look out the window.

"I don't think he was lying…" Naruto remembered Sasuke's crazed expression while he told team 7 the elation he had felt in avenging Itachi. "We talked, but then…then Madara intervened."

"I see."

"Sasuke… he…he is not himself right now…he wants to attack the village…"

Naruto couldn't see Tsunade's reaction to this, for she kept her face toward the window. "I see," she replied quietly.

Naruto's voice changed to a determined, purposeful tone. "I have a couple questions that I need answered."

Tsunade hesitated for a moment before saying firmly, "More importantly, we must consider Sasuke's accomplice that we have in custody."

"Karin?"

"Yes. Karin Uzumaki."

The air in the room suddenly turned cold. Naruto stumbled on his feet. "Karin…Uzumaki?"

"That is her surname, Naruto. She is the younger sister of your mother, Kushina."

"K…Kushina?" Naruto had to remember to breath. The Hokage's words entered him like paralyzing electricity and jumbled his thoughts.

"You probably don't remember," Tsunade continued, "but she was one of the Chuunin candidates."

She turned to face Naruto, a serious and haunted expression on her face. "Blood bonds are a strange thing, aren't they?"

"But—But she was—she was in league with Sasuke!"

Tsunade smiled at the floor sardonically. "Yes, she betrayed the five nations. To avenge your mother."

This information froze him where he stood. "H…How…?"

Tsunade returned to her large seat and sat, leaning her elbows on the desk, using her folded hands to rest her chin. She gazed into Naruto's eyes with hard resolve. "Sasuke wasn't the only recruit that Orochimaru had his eyes on. He knew all about Karin. All of us Sannin knew about her before her identity was concealed after your birth and your mother's death. But more than that, Orochimaru knew of the resentment she felt toward the Leaf Village for taking her beloved older sister away. He knew that he could use that hatred for his benefit."

"But it wasn't the Leaf's fault—it…"

"Karin, of course, did not pass the challenge in the forest. So while she was returning to her village in defeat, Orochimaru seized the opportunity. He sent Kabuto, and Kabuto used the right words to coax her into joining him."

Naruto swallowed.

"He wanted to use Karin's power for more experiments. Her healing abilities were actually brought on by a lucky accident during one of his sick experiments."

"What healing ability? What do you mean?"

"Oh, so you haven't found out about that yet." Tsunade closed her eyes and inhaled slowly.

"How do you know all this, Old Lady? You weren't even here during the exams!"

"Yes," she breathed as she exhaled slowly, opening her eyes again with a penetrating, steely expression. "There is something else you don't know. Your Master, Jiraiya, was also in league with Orochimaru at the time."

Naruto erupted, his entire body immediately thawed by these absurd words. He strode foreward and slammed his fist on the desk, glaring at her fiercely.

"Don't say such irresponsible things!!" he growled.

Tsunade didn't even blink. She remained calmly at her desk, returning Naruto's rude outburst full force with the look in her eyes alone. "I would not lie to you, Naruto. But I am not suggesting that Jiraiya is a criminal. He joined Orochimaru—"

"He would never join—!"

Tsunade raised her voice above his and stood up from her chair, pressing her fingertips into the top of the desk. "He _joined_ Orochimaru with good intentions. How else could he have known about the reanimation jutsu so well? How else could he have learned about Akatsuki? How else could he have known about Karin's situation there?"

"But he wouldn't—"

"Jiraiya loved Kushina as if she were his own daughter. He couldn't stand by while her younger sister was taken advantage of by his old friend. And so he had to do it, to make sure that Karin was safe. He had to convince Orochimaru that he needed his services, and that he could be trusted. He couldn't just force Karin to come back. Once her village heard of her betrayal, they wanted her dead—she was too powerful to take chances with."

"But—"

"It was easy to hide, of course. The village was used to his long periods of absence—to his traveling. And so he watched over Karin while helping—"

Naruto punched the desk headed for the door. "I can't listen to this anymore."

"Naruto!" shouted the Hokage authoritatively.

Naruto gripped the doorknob and stiffened, gritting his teeth.

"Of everything I've told you, at least believe this: Karin _is_ your family…" she closed her eyes and swallowed. "Actually…she is the last of your family."

"I don't know what youre babbling about, Old Lady," he murmured through clenched teeth. "I have a family."

With that, he passed through the door and slammed it shut.

Tsunade sighed and sunk back into her chair, rubbing her temple with one thin finger. "Naruto…" she whispered, "Blood bonds are a strange thing, aren't they?"


	2. Chapter 2

Tsunade walked purposefully from the lighted hallway into a large, shadowed room. In the middle of the room glowed the vast, round design of a seal, and in the middle of that seal was Karin. Her whole body was encompassed into a solid stone dome with a sheet of buttons and nobs jutting out from the rim. Only Karin's head was visible. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slightly relaxed and parted from the ease of unconsciousness.

A man with a wide, muscular build and bald head stepped out of a dark corner of the room to meet her. He had a gash across his face.

Tsunade addressed him immediately and assertively. "Are the tests complete, Ibiki?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"What have you found?"

Ibiki crossed his arms, his eyes lighted with amusement although the rest of his face emanated a grim air. "In the small amount of time that he had her, I'm both surprised and impressed that Orochimaru was able to go this far and do this much."

Tsunade's own face was hardened with resignation and stoic resolve, yet it also showed the small taint of a snarl. She had prepared herself into accepting the situation, no matter how grotesque. "How far did he go?"

Ibiki closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before continuing. "I didn't even know that Orochimaru was aware of this jutsu; The Mind Pierce Jutsu. Have you heard of it?"

She nodded. "Mind Pierce Jutsu. It is usually only capable of being performed on small children, being the only time when one's mind is free, honest and unguarded. You can make a permanent plexus of tunnels into the person's mind so that that person's thoughts,--memories, feelings, everything—is always accessible, even to adulthood."

Ibiki smiled briefly. "That is what I'd expect from our Hokage, to know of such a top secret forbidden jutsu."

"So you are saying Orochimaru performed this jutsu on her?"

"Yes. Apparently, he knew that her…connections to the leaf—"

"You mean Naruto."

The man bowed his head. "I'm guessing that he was aware of this connection potentially causing some…conflicts of interest…in the future. So he wanted complete dominion over what was going on her head."

"He sealed off her memories."

Ibiki raised his eyebrows to show that he was impressed. "Yes. "

"So you have infiltrated the plexus of tunnels in her mind? I would think that Orochimaru would have made sure that—as his servant—Karin's thoughts would only be accessible to him."

Now Ibiki smiled in his dark, conserved way. "Right again, Hokage-sama. But the Mind Pierce is _my clan's_ jutsu. It was easy to break the barriers he established so naively."

"Excellent," replied Tsunade, "Then I'll have you remove those mind blocks at once. But first, what else have you discovered?"

"Pardon me, Hokage-sama, but—_all _of them?"

"Yes."

"Even—"

"Yes." Her eyes flashed stubbornly.

"You do not doubt that she may…choose a different reaction to everything that has passed?"

"I want you to remove the barriers that block her from her memories and then seal up her mind so that the plexus in her head can never be accessed again. What happens after that is her decision to make, and her alone."

The man frowned and offered earnestly, "I understand that she is the daughter of one of your favorite students, Hokage-sama, but allow me to advise that this personal bond may be impairing your judgment."

Tsunade smiled sardonically. "Shijime wasn't necessarily my student."

"When the council decided to relocate Karin to a different country so as to better conceal her identity, the land of Fire was not considered. And you know the reason."

Tsunade closed her eyes and sighed, slightly annoyed. "I will not deny that I have a personal interest in Karin, considering whose daughter she is; whose sister she is. When I left the Leaf village, the grass country was the first I visited just to be certain that she was safe." Tsunade opened her eyes and looked straight at Ibiki. "But I will assure you, Ibiki, that my judgment is not handicapped. I simply acknowledge that she has a right to those memories and a right to make a decision based on them. She is not Shijime or Kushina—she is Karin. One's genes do not reflect the individual. Karin is her own person, and as such, she will have to make her own path, by her own volition."

Ibiki's mouth tightened. "I understand."

"Anyway." Tsunade put one hand on her hip and turned to the unconscious Karin. "You were able to break those barriers. You should know what is going on in her head. What she is dreaming right now."

Ibiki smiled cynically and released a fleeting chuckle, also turning to gaze at the red-haired girl. "Only two images replay over and over again in that mind. One is in the forest at the Chuunin exams. The other is of Sasuke piercing her chest with his chakra." Then his smile vanished and his eyes turned cold. "I saw Danzo's death through her eyes. He took her captive and used her as a shield, but…that didn't matter to Sasuke."

Tsunade folded her arms across her chest and looked straight ahead. "Danzo…"

"I also heard through her ears why Sasuke attacked Danzo. Sasuke said something about Itachi's slaughter of the clan being Konoha's fault."

A wave of disturbance passed over the Hokage's face before returning to a calm, pensive expression. The two of them thought about this in silence before a new thought occurred to her.

"Sasuke joined Orochimaru soon after Karin," she said slowly, her eyebrows furrowed. "Would this mean that Sasuke could have had this Mind Pierce Jutsu performed on him too…? Hmm…perhaps not. His mind was far ahead of his age."

"We should hope that he does have the plexus implanted into him," said Ibiki with a smirk. "That would give us a humane way to solve half of Konoha's problems. All you would need to do is capture Sasuke and give him to me to implant my memory barriers."

Tsunade contemplated this. "Memories—however painful—can only be of use, and even helpful, to the one that bears them. I wonder if Sasuke's real problem is that _he already has_ barriers in his mind, barriers that he put there willingly. He only desires to remember one thing, and nothing else."

***

Naruto sat by the riverbank and watched the sunset color the running water different shades of yellow and red. He rested his arms on his bent knees, a pensive and troubled blur in his eyes. The gash on his cheek from the poisoned Kunai still burned, reminding him of how close he had come to his friend. Yet this also testified to how far Sasuke truly was.

"Sasuke…" the name was uttered absent-mindedly, a frustrated cry of will. They could have been great friends. They could have lived peaceably, fought side by side to achieve the end of the ninja world's distress. That life they could have had in Konoha scorned the life they were destined to now. And that life was actually death. For both of them.

He heard the sound of footsteps on grass coming from behind him, but didn't care to turn around. He saw a small shadow pass over before the figure sat next to him on the grass about two feet away, but he couldn't take his eyes off the fiery current of water. The sun was sinking fast. And did he smell Ramen again? Its salty scent rode the light breeze.

"N…N-Naruto?" said a familiar, soft voice. It awoke Naruto from his trance.

He turned his head to see her sitting there, still in her apron, a bowl of Ramen in her hands. He raised his eyebrows, perplexed.

"Hinata?" Naruto said in a curious tone, "What are you doing here?"

The setting sun painted Hinata's hair a brilliant, glowing black, like opal jewels. He noticed how it elegantly flowed down the front of her well-rounded chest. Her white eyes looked away, her cheeks as red as the water flowing before them. In her hands she offered up the bowl of ramen to him.

"I…I…" said Hinata very softly, "I noticed that you haven't eaten anything yet, and—and there was plenty ramen left from today so I—I…p-please accept this."

Naruto received the bowl into his hands with a dumb-founded expression. "Thank you, Hinata…"

Hinata took a package of chopsticks from her apron and said timidly, "I h-hope it's still warm enough… Here…"

Naruto accepted the chopsticks, still confused but grateful, and began eating. He soon realized how long it had been since his last meal, and finished the bowl in a matter of minutes. Hinata sat on the grass with him silently as he ate, staring at the silhouette of the mountains in the sunset and looking very embarrassed.

With the last slurp of soup, Naruto released a sigh of satisfaction and set the bowl and chopsticks down on the grass. He held his stomach and smiled wide, with closed eyes, at Hinata. "Thank you very much. I didn't realize how hungry I was."

"I-It wasn't too cold?"

"No, it was perfect!"

"I…I'm glad…" Hinata smiled a little, her cheeks glowing brighter.

Naruto leaned back on his hands and stretched his feet out in front of him, closing his eyes.

"If…If you don't mind me asking…" said Hinata, hugging her knees to her chest and staring at the grass, "W-what happened to your cheek?"

The boy frowned. "Oh, this? It was…" But then, suddenly, a flash of memory entered his awareness: a man with rinnegan eyes and black studs jutting out from parts of his face. The sensation of his self falling to the ground, feeling an obsidian black, metal rod pierce into his two shoulders and further down. The sight of pain looming above him. Then…

"Hinata," he said quietly, in amazement. He turned to her.

She blinked and swallowed hard, her eyes shifting from him to the ground. "Uh—sorry, s-sorry, you don't have to talk about it if you—"

He spontaneously leaned over and gave her a tight hug. "Thank you, Hinata. You saved me out there."

When he let go, her eyes were wide with shock. "W-what are you talking about?"

"When I was battling Pain—you helped me out. Thank you." He smiled wide again.

"Oh…that…" Hinata's face couldn't get any redder. However, it was no longer visible because the sun was now buried under the snug sheets of the black horizon. A deep crimson streak lingered, but the sky was mostly yellow. Night steadily approached.

"I'm glad you are alright—I thought for sure that… and then…" Naruto leaned back on his hands again, looking up at the sky. "You know, you're a really cool person, Hinata," he continued, "You don't talk much, and you're pretty weird, but you always do your best, and you are really brave. And…"

_Because I… love you_. Those words abruptly jolted his memory. She _had _said that. Right? But how could that be possible? He turned his head to observe her better. What was she thinking? A black curtain of hair hid her eyes from his view.

"Uh…. Hinata…?" His tone grew serious.

"Y…yes?"

"Did you…did you really mean that?"

There was a long moment of silent before Hinata responded in her usual, quiet way. "I've…I've a-always meant it…N-Naruto…" she squeezed her knees tighter to her chest. "Ever since we were in that class with Iruka Sensei I…I've f-felt this way about you…"

Naruto's eyes widened. "I thought everyone hated me back then. Including Iruka Sensei."

Hinata shook her head slowly. "Not me."

The boy could hardly believe it. "Really?"

She nodded. "I…I still l-love you… Naruto…"

Naruto couldn't say anything. He just stared in awe and disbelief, not knowing how to respond.

With that, Hinata quickly rose and picked up the bowl of ramen and chopsticks from the grass. "Sorry to b-bother you, I'm glad you enjoyed the ramen. I-I should be g-going now…"

"Wait—"

"M-my father is strict on when I should be back at the h-house when I'm not on missions," she explained, and walked swiftly away, the tears flying from her eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

Naruto was left alone by the river bank, watching her form disappear with confused eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

Naruto woke suddenly to see Kakashi's masked face looming over him, one hand frozen in a wave, his only visible eye—like usual— deflated of excitement.

"Yo."

Naruto started and immediately lept to his feet. "W-What are you doing??!" he shouted in an exaggerated stance with eyes bulging and half of a fist raised. "You don't go sneaking up on people like that for no reason! What's the big deal??"

Kakashi, as expected, hardly reacted. He returned his hands to his pockets and calmly waited for Naruto to finish expressing his surprise.

It was early in the morning, the next day. The sun's beams were just peaking up over the horizon, turning all the dewdrops on the grass it touched into diamonds. Naruto had fallen asleep on the same river bank—he couldn't return to his room, for that would mean running into friends. And all of his friends would have questions about the mission. He sought out seclusion because he didn't want to be reminded of his reoccurring failure to reach Sasuke.

Naruto gradually relaxed, allowing his arms to hang by his sides and frowning up at his mentor with a semi-annoyed expression.

"If it was my decision, I'd have let you sleep. That was the first time in a while I've seen you at peace."

Naruto's eyes darkened. He realized, "Tsunade sent you."

Kakashi raised his one eyebrow slightly to show that Naruto was correct. The boy forced out a sigh and sat back down on the grass toward the river, pulling up his knees to rest his arms on. Kakashi remained standing, watching Naruto with masked interest.

"Naruto," he began, "I understand that it's been one thing on top of another for you recently. You've had enough of surprises, haven't you?"

The boy's troubled eyes melted into a thoughtful sadness. He stared at the crystal water and remembered last night, when it seemed to run with blood. "I'm fine, Kakashi Sensei."

There was a brief moment of silence while Kakashi observed Naruto with a knowing stare. He continued monotonously,"But this is good news, isn't it? She is your family. She cared about your mother, and she cares about you."

"Is that the only reason to care for someone?" said Naruto derisively, his expression darkening. "Their blood?"

Kahashi responded quietly, "It meant a great deal to Sasuke, didn't it?"

Naruto's eyes widened. He remembered Sasuke yelling at him in the Valley of the End, _'What would you know about me? Huh?! You've always been alone; you don't know what it's like_!'

It became clear to him in that moment that Sasuke was right. He truly didn't know what it was like to have blood bonds. He didn't see any importance in them. Or, perhaps, he was just uncertain of what to expect from a relationship that was not formed by choice but by blood. What was the difference between Ero-Sannin, Iruka Sensei, and Karin? He felt closer to the first two than this blood relative. And yet, knowing that Karin had been close to his mother gave him a warm feeling…

"But she was in league with Sasuke," said Naruto blandly. "Isn't she Konoha's enemy, too?"

"She is not _your_ enemy—of that we can be certain. But I'm told that a talented ninja investigated her mind. He found that Karin wasn't even aware of her own identity. When she joined Orochimaru, all her memories that linked her to her heritage were sealed. She could only remember miscellaneous pieces of her childhood."

Naruto turned to Kakashi, in shock. "How is that possible?"

"That doesn't matter. It's a top secret forbidden jutsu. The point is, you cannot blame her for what she did. She was lost; she was the victim of a cold-hearted man who took advantage of her feelings and used her for everything she was."

Naruto understood now, and felt a fresh, hot rage towards Orochimaru. At the same time he thought, 'Why would I feel rage about something happening to someone I don't even know?' He remembered Tsunade's words: _'Blood bonds are a strange thing_.'

"Anyway," said Kakashi, turning away from the bank, "The blocks have been removed. She now has full access to her memories, and she is expected to awake soon. Tsunade wants you to be there when she does."

Naruto thought about this for a moment. "She doesn't even know who I am. She can't recognize me. Aren't we the same age?"

Kakashi chuckled a little. "She is five years superior to you."

"_**EH**??!!" _Naruto's eyes popped and his mouth hung open. "Five years?!"

"As it should be," smiled Kakashi with his one eye upturned, "She is your aunt, after all."

With those words, Naruto felt a foreboding feeling nestle into the pit of his stomach. He didn't like the sound of that. He didn't like the sound of that one bit.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or Naruto.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. I apologize for how long it took. Even now I'm not satisfied with it, so please give me feedback. I'm a perfectionist...

***

Tsunade watched silently through the glass. Karin lay on the other side, within a solid stone room. There was only one bed and an entrance that led to the bathroom; they couldn't take any chances. What would happen once she awoke was unpredictable, and so they were obligated to take extra precautions. She now slept on the bed, completely free of any binding jutsu on her body. Her head was the only part of her body not blanketed, light reflecting off her glasses.

The wound in Karin's chest had been immediately patched up by the medical ninja the moment she entered the village, before they had performed the mind interrogation. It granted the Hokage a self-satisfied sense of relief to see the girl lying there so peaceful and unhurt…unhurt by the torment of consciousness as well as the wounds Sasuke had inflicted upon her.

She sensed Ibiki coming from behind and turned on her heel. He had a serious expression locked into his eyes. His large, muscular arms were folded across his chest.

"Should I help her along, Hokage-sama?" the man asked.

"No, let her wake up naturally…" Tsunade frowned. "Opening one's mind so suddenly has the possibility of being very harmful. Waking her forcefully may increase the chances of this turning out bad."

"Perhaps," replied Ibiki solemnly. He approached the glass window and scrutinized the sleeping woman. "It is like bursting open a dam. Our minds must link memories together in order to make ourselves; who we know ourselves to be. Our old memories are built on top of new ones, for our old memories help us form the new ones from the decisions we make. But most of Karin's memories are completely disconnected with each other. It is like two people living within the same body, and this internal conflict and confusion may be too much for her to handle."

Tsunade moved to stand by his side and watch with him. "That is why I will stay here as long as it takes to monitor her condition."

"And is Naruto coming?"

Tsunade smirked grimly and put one hand on her hip. "We'll see. I sent Kakashi after him, and recently also sent Shikamaru. He can be a stubborn brat sometimes."

Yet her smile melted from rebuke to fondness as she finished these words.

***

"Shikamaru?"

He was casually approaching them with his hands in his pockets, eyes void of enthusiasm and a mild frown tipping his face. "Hey Naruto…Kakashi-sama."

Kakashi nodded at Shikamaru in acknowledgement and turned to Naruto. "I will go now; I have things to do. But if I were you, I wouldn't keep Tsunade waiting." With one jump, the jounin vanished.

Shikamaru stopped in front of Naruto. "Kakashi is right. Let's go."

"Did she send you too?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and held out his hand to Naruto. "You know how women are--impatient and hot-headed. It's such a drag."

Naruto accepted the hand to help pull him to his feet. He dusted off his orange jump suit and took in a full breath of air to calm his nerves. Naruto didn't know what he would say to Karin when they met. He didn't know what to expect, or what was expected of him. And he'd rather train so that he could get ready for Sasuke—not deal with something like this. They were total strangers, yet now their blood ushered them into being something more. How was he supposed to do this?

They began walking, side by side, toward the Hokage's building.

Shikamaru sensed Naruto's unease and raised his eyebrows. "Hey."

Naruto looked up and noticed the facetious glint in Shikamaru's eyes.

"Family is a really bothersome …" he said, "heh, more so than hot-headed women…but they can make up for it sometimes."

"How?" asked Naruto with a brattish, skeptical appearance.

"Well, they are really annoying when they get into your business… But at the same time, it's kind of nice. Cuz they are always looking out for you."

"But why? Aren't friends the same way? What does blood have to do with caring about someone?"

Shikamaru shrugged lazily as he stared straight ahead at the junction between the grass and the meandering stone road. "Who knows? Sometimes a family doesn't care at all. I guess it's more about attitude than blood."

"Attitude?"

"Oh, I don't know. Perspective? Some people are cool about making a family and being a family. Others just don't care. I don't know why."

They walked quietly for a moment as Naruto thought about this. He was relieved that the jounin hadn't asked about the last mission.

"Blood bonds are a strange thing," finished Shikamaru after a while. "Not sure how it works."

Naruto's mouth tipped sardonically. "That's what Old Lady Tsunade said."

The silent movement of thought that followed did not last. Shikamaru frowned and watched his feet as they dragged on the ground. "You know, Naruto… I don't want to make this any more troublesome for you…but I feel I should warn you…I wouldn't worry about bonds yet."

"What do you mean?"

"All I know about Karin is that she was helping Sasuke and she is your only surviving relative. If she was helping Sasuke, then wouldn't that mean she was against Konoha?"

Naruto shook his head. "Kakashi said she wasn't herself or something..."

'Hm, the same excuse you give for Sasuke,' thought Shikamaru. "All I'm saying is…I'm not sure what would happen if she really did choose to be Konoha's enemy. How should the leaf ninja respond? Would it mean her permanent imprisonment?"

Naruto's eyes widened. "I didn't think about that…"

"Sorry, Naruto…I just thought I should warn you. It is better to be prepared for the worst."

The rest of the way they walked without saying a word, just taking comfort in each other's company. Naruto thought about Karin; Imagining her permanently imprisoned left a bitter taste in his mouth for some reason. 'But,' he thought, 'If I knew nothing about her heritage, would I still feel this way?'

When they reached the Hokage's building, Ibiki was outside waiting for them.

"What are you walking so leisurely for, boy?" barked Ibiki, his expression shadowed lethally and reminded Naruto with a jolt of nostalgic fear of the exam about three years ago. "When Tsunade asks for you, you come immediately! Does she allow you to disrespect her authority like this so nonchalantly? You are late! Tsunade is meeting with Karin right now!"

* **

The first thing Karin saw was the white, bright ceiling come into focus. She turned her head and noticed the solid walls with a large glass window cut out of the one across from her bed. A woman with a large hourglass figure, blond hair, and sharp eyes watched from the other side. A heavy door was locked in next to the window.

Karin started and immediately sat up in bed, frantically turning her head to view her surroundings. What had happened? Where was she? But the moment Karin asked that question her mind began digging into her memory for answers. She had to catch her breath.

Karin clamped her hands onto her head and began convulsing uncontrollably. In that instant Tsunade burst into the room, her only choice being to improvise a remedy to this situation somehow—Karin's case was unique, and so she had no procedure to follow.

But Tsunade's entrance only frightened Karin further. The girl clawed at her shoulders and leaned into the wall, screaming, "Who are you??! Who are you?! Why is your chakra so great? What do you want from—m-m—me—Who—?!"

Tsunade froze in place and offered Karin stable, firm eyes. "I can answer all your questions, Karin, but you must calm down. Otherwise—"

But Karin didn't hear. Her eyes rolled. She folded into herself and went into a series of more convulsions.

"Shizune!" The Hokake yelled at the open door.

Shizune came running. "Yes, Hokage-sama?"

"Get me the medical team now!" she roared authoritatively.

"Y-Yes!"

"Now, Shizune!"

Shizune disappeared down the hall.

Tsunade rushed to Karin and caught her shoulders in her hands, holding on tightly. "You are Karin of the Whirlpool country, daughter to…"

Blue wisps of light gently twirled up Karin's neck and into her head. The shaking did not cease. Her distress only heightened. "Karin, listen to my voice," commanded the Hokage softly, her eyes focused intensely, "Listen to me, Karin—"

"Old Lady?!"

Ibiki, Shikamaru, and Naruto appeared at the door. Naruto examined the scene with narrow eyes and a suspiciousfrown. What was Tsunade doing? Did Karin choose to become Konoha's enemy? Was this how Tsunade planned to deal with her? He sprinted toward the bed.

"Stop it!" Naruto yelled, pushing the Hokage aside.

Tsunade stumbled to the right, her anger provoked. "I'm not—"

Naruto had to think quickly—If they planned on killing her, he had to get her out of here fast. He scooped her up from the bed and ran for the door just as Shizune and the medical team was entering. They significantly blocked the way, staring at the odd scene in bewilderment. Naruto was about to barrel through when the looks on everyone's faces changed and distracted him. They were staring in amazement at Karin.

Naruto dropped his gaze, surprised to see the girl looking up at him, perfectly still. Her eyes contained disbelief, awe, and relief. Her convulsions had ceased. It was a little uncomfortable. He lowered her to stand on her feet and maintain personal space, but she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug and sighed.

"Minato!" Karin whispered, "Minato! So all the rest really was just a dream… Mi…nato…"

Her whole body relaxed and slid off of him. He had to catch her in his arms to keep her from hitting the floor. She was unconscious. Naruto held her up in a standing position awkwardly, exhibiting his immense confusion. "Er…Old Lady?"

Tsunade released a deep sigh and slowly lowered herself to sit on the bed. "Well, once again your frivolous blunders have been redeemed by lucky success. It seems she thinks you are Minato, meaning her brain prefers the old memories to the new ones."

"Wh…" Naruto was dumbfounded. "What were you doing with her? You were hurting her just now, weren't you? Does she still want revenge on…"

Tsunade crossed her arms. "She was hurting herself. But it seems that seeing a familiar face was what she needed to save her from her panic. So I thank you for actually showing up, or else I don't know what her brain would have done to cope."

"Her brain was doing that? But—But…She…"

"Yes, she thinks you are the 4th. Or at least for now she does." Tsunade gave him a quick sweep with her eyes. "So she will be in your charge from today until I deem fit."

"_EHH_???!!"

"It's your new mission. A-rank."

"A-rank mission!? Babysitting a grown—"

"It's for her own good. And it will give you both some bonding time."

"But—but I have training—Sasuke is—"

"Go now, Naruto. Karin needs her rest. Give her your bed until we can get you another."

"But—But Old Lady Tsunade—could Sakura—she's a—"

"Karin is your _aunt_," emphasized Tsunade in an annoyed tone. "Families are responsible for looking after each other's health. _And_ they live together."

Now Naruto could only stare at Tsunade in shock.

"Oh, very well. Sukura!"

"Yes?"

"Help Karin to Naruto's room. Show him what to do."

"Certainly, Hokage-sama."

"But," Naruto objected, "I don't know her!"

Sakura grabbed his hand. "That's enough whining from you. Baka! When the Hokage gives you an order, you do it. Youre always challenging her authority."

"But Sakura-chan—"

And so the chain of ninjas exited the room; Sakura dragging a very miserable Naruto, and Naruto dragging Karin. They received amused and astounded glances on their way out.

Tsunade watched them leave with a mysterious glint in her eye. 'You will see, Naruto,' she thought to herself. 'You'll see in time that I am doing this for reasons more worthy than blood.'


	5. Chapter 5

"NARUTO! You just left Karin unattended?? Go back to her_ NOW_!"

"But all she does is sleep! It's boring!"

"Her brain is trying to recuperate. You'll just have to be patient."

"No, I came here because—"

"I am _not_ going to relieve you of this duty. You _will_ watch after her. That is an order."

"But I'm not even a medical ninja! This doesn't make sense!!"

"Sakura gives her a check-up every morning and night," said Tsunade, releasing a slight smirk of amusement as she thought to herself, 'I'd guess that to him the inconvenience would be worth seeing Sakura more often.'

"But what if something happens?"

Tsunade closed her eyes and forced herself to take deep breaths in order to try and maintain her composure. "The worst has passed. Even though you were more unskilled than I in handling such a problem, you luckily did what I was uncertain how to do. What was crucial was the moment she returned to consciousness, for that third consciousness would be capable of reconciling the two conflicting worlds inside of her. The memory of you—as the 4th and then as yourself—was the only constant in her two worlds. You face is the common thread. That is what fused her two persons into one again. So she has this foundational memory to build new ones on now, which means she is stable."

Naruto folded his arms and wrinkled his nose. "Sure, stable. That's why she sleeps all the time. I didn't understand a word of what you just said but—What the hell, Old Lady??! I can't just sit in there watching her the whole day!"

"Hmph."

"Then _YOU_ do it! If I sit too long my bones will get soft! I NEED to _TRAIN_ and get stronger!!"

Tsunade smirked and leaned back in her chair behind the desk. "Patience is an important skill. It trains a ninja to know many things. Things you haven't figured out yet."

Naruto grasped his head in both hands and growled with frustration. "You're—not—listening to me!!"

"I only listen to things that matter."

Naruto's hands dropped to his side. His back slumped over and he glared at the Hokage with a twitching, menacing eye.

Tsunade was not deterred. She returned his mood with a neutralizing nonchalance. "Perhaps it is truly you who is not listening. Don't you trust me?"

Naruto grumbled, "Who'd trust a senile old—**OW**!!"

She had crossed the room and swung him a solid punch in the face in a mere second. "Who you calling senile, _brat_?!"

Naruto rubbed his cheek. "Dammit… what'd you do that for?"

The Hokage calmed down and returned to her desk, massaging her knuckles discreetly. With a drawn out sigh, she tried again. "Look, Naruto… Karin is from the whirlpool country. What do you think that means?"

"Err…" Naruto straightened and shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno."

And that was the end of the woman's patience. "Enough, Naruto. You will follow orders. Get back to Karin."

Naruto began to object but saw that it was useless. He sighed and walked out of the Hokage's office.

Karin was right where he had left her. She was even in the same position. He wanted to just grab her shoulders and shake her awake, but Sakura had already told him it was important she slept as long as she needed to.

Naruto pulled up a chair and sat by the bed. He rested his elbows on his knees and his head on his hands, watching the sleeping girl with an irritated expression. "Family is annoying," he mumbled.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note**: Sorry if there are errors in the chapter; I rushed to get this done. Hope you enjoy. Please be absolutely honest with me about what you think. I want to hear your opinions--you could even change the course of this story :)_

_Special thanks to Pharix and Dear Vanille for helping me along XD_

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Naruto slowly rose from the bed and stretched. His mouth spread wide to savor a satisfied yawn. He rubbed his sleepy, squinted eyes and scratched his side, then shifted to rest his feet on the floor. The young ninja leisurely made his way into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator to hunt for breakfast, just as Sakura knocked on the door.

"Huh? Sakura-chan?" Naruto opened the door and let her in.

"How is Karin, Naruto?" she smiled. She was holding a basket of supplies.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Errr…" He suddenly remembered. Sakura came in the mornings to check on Karin… but wasn't Karin in his bed? And didn't he just get up from his bed?

Naruto ran into his room and started. The bed was empty.

"Naruto?" called Sakura from the kitchen, "Whats the matter?"

Naruto began to frantically search his apartment, starting from under the bed and ending in the kitchen cabinets. Sakura frowned as she watched him, then made her way into the room.

"Er—no! Sakura-chan!"

"What is it? What are you freaking out about?"

Naruto smiled desperately as he blocked her path and scratched his head nervously. "Ehehehe—nothing—it's just that—"

Sakura stepped around him and entered the room anyway. "Ah! Where…" Her face melted from surprise to anger. "Na..ru…to…"

"Um—see ya!" Naruto dashed out of the apartment. "Dammit! Where could that lady have run off to? Dammit!"

"NARUTOOOOOO!"

As soon as Naruto could be certain that he was far away and safe from Sakura's wrath, he slumped behind a tree and thought hard. Why couldn't he remember anything? Had he been that tired? How did he end up in that bed? Did Karin go back to Sasuke?

"What are you running from, Kid?"

Naruto started and looked upward, where the voice had come from. He immediately felt a wave of relief; it was Karin, sitting up in the tree, looking down at him with a semi-irritated expression. He was momentarily startled by the color of her eyes.

"Why the hell are you up there?" Naruto demanded.

Karin frowned, staring at the young ninja with a scrutinizing expression, as if trying to decipher cryptic writing. She could sense the purity of his chakra, which was almost exactly like the feel of chakra that man had eminated...she connected many memories to his face but... "Theres no way…" she said decidedly, "You're not Minato."

"What's that all about?"

"Minato was cool."

_That _struck a nerve. Naruto's posture jolted and slumped abrubtly, as if the words had stabbed him in the spine. His expression darkened into visible annoyance.

"Tell me something," Karin said with an airy, monotonously analytical tone.

"What?" he answered roughly.

"Was I under a gengutsu or… what was all that? I feel like I have awoken from a dream but… I can't tell which parts were the dream and which parts were realities. I don't even know if this is a dream."

"This isn't a dream, lady. You've been dreaming for three days now!" He stood up and rested his hands on his hips, gazing into the tree.

"How do I know you are really saying that? What if you are just another figure in a dream?"

"Well if you were dreaming you wouldn't be thinking like that would you?"

Karin pondered this for a moment. "True enough. Do you know what my reality is then?"

"Well sure but first we need to get you back inside—"

"No!" Karin reflexively clung to the tree like a stubborn little girl. Naruto was slightly perplexed; sometimes she behaved like a child, sometimes she behaved like an adult. The switching of personalities was confusing.

"Okay, listen," said Naruto with a sigh, "Your name is Karin. You are from the whirlpool country. Do you remember that much?"

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Did I grow up with a father and brothers and an older sister?"

These words froze Naruto from the inside. "Honestly… I don't know…"

"What? You said you knew when I was dreaming!"

"Ask me about a '_dream_' that had me in it!"

"Okay…" Karin stared up at the skies in thought. Once she grabbed hold of a memory she looked back down at Naruto. "Did you take me for a ride on a purple monkey?"

Naruto did a double-take. Awkward… "Uh, definitely a dream."

"Sad, I wanted purple monkeys to be real…" Karin replied dreamily, staring off into space.

"You're really creeping me out with these personality switches, lady."

"Wha?"

"Never mind. I'll just tell you what was NOT a dream. You were once following a man—remember him? His name was Sasuke."

Karin suddenly looked less child-like. Her eyes widened, her expression shifted immediately to a serious frown, and her cheeks flushed red. "Sasuke…"

"You both fought this guy together. His name was Danzo. And—"

Karin produced a odd, strangled sound from her throat and turned her face away, clutching her chest. Her red hair draped over her face. "Shut up, kid. I remember… " She murmured to herself, "Why is it the_ nightmares _have to be true?"

Naruto examined Karin for a moment, in concern, then continued. "You were in bad shape. That's when we met. And we took you back here to treat your wounds."

"Heh, yeah right. You need me for information, don't you? That's why you brought me back…"

Suddenly, Karin froze. She stared accusatively at Naruto's headband. "Wait a minute… you are a leaf ninja! ...Am I in Konohagakure?"

Naruto was disturbed by her surprise. "Yes."

A long pause followed, the woman's eyes gradually darkening as the time passed. "Tell me...was this a dream…?" she looked straight at Naruto. "My older sister fell in love with a man from the leaf village. He actually looks kind of like you."

Naruto's heart quickened. He wanted to be the one asking the questions, yet she wanted answers. "Was your sister's name… Kushina?"

Karin's eyes widened. "So it is true," she whispered. She glanced upward into the tree branches.

"W…what else do you remember?"

Karin closed her eyes and turned away so that her back was facing the young ninja. "In our family, we were the only girls. That is what I remember. Two girls amongst a strict father and annoying brothers. Of course we came closer to each other because of that…and then…she was spending more time on missions…and then…she brought home this man…he had that same symbol on his forehead. He was nice enough, but I hated him because big sister was not paying attention to me like she used to. She was always watching him, smiling at him...but she was happy and I didn't want to be a brat. Even when she said she was moving to Konoha I didn't show any tears…"

Naruto began to climb the tree to where Karin sat.

She spun around. "What do you think youre doing?"

"I can't hear with your back turned like that," he lied to her, sitting on an adjacent branch level with her own.

Karin ignored him and continued, her eyes gazing at the distant ground. "Things were peaceful. But I was still lonely. I missed her. Once I even put together some necessities in a pack and told my father I was going to Konoha to see big sister. I started walking into the woods even though I didn't know which direction the village was. My father just took me by the hand and laughed and said that we would visit her together soon once...once the baby was born…but 'soon' never came…"

_'Once... the baby_..." thought Naruto in half a trance.

"She was pregnant, you know," Karin smiled to herself. "The last time I saw her, the time she brought home that man named Minato…she had a baby inside…It was about time for the baby to be born, and I was really exited because then I could see big sister…but..." She took a deep breath. "We didn't get a notice saying the baby was born. It wasn't a birth—it was…death. I might have cried if I believed it, but I just couldn't. I was looking forward to seeing her again…" Karin's voice cracked. She cleared her throat and swallowed hard. "That night, we were also attacked, but it was the five-tails that did it. And so that was the last time I would see my family…One of the Jounin grabbed me and carried me away. The last memory I have is of my father and brothers all dirty and sweaty, facing that five-tailed beast. Next thing I hear is that they all died in combat, and the Whirlpool Village was defeated…I asked the Jounin why people would do something like that to a peaceful village…he told me…I didn't understand what he meant, it was a stupid answer…he told me that our bloodline is feared…and that the one that attacked Konoha especially feared our marrital alliance to the leaf. Whoever did it anticipated investigations and retaliations from our clan, so they acted proactively..." Karin turned her face to Naruto with an accusative, angry expression, "If we were that much of a threat, then why were we defeated? Can you answer that? Those ninjas didn't kill for our power. All ninjas only look for any excuse to kill. They think its a game. They are thirsty for any kind of blood, regardless whether it holds power or not..." She turned away again.

Naruto frowned. First of all, if Karin felt this way, why would she side with a blood thirsty criminal? Secondly..."Thats not true of all ninjas," he told her. "Someday, I believe we will find peace--"

"Ha! Now this is funny!" interupted Karin bitterly, "A ninja an advocate to peace? What irony... ninjas are made for war. With no war, no ninja...How can a ninja advocate peace when he is fighting a war?"

Naruto's face wrinkled in agitation. He was about to retort a defense, but Karin's expression changed again to that same reminiscient gaze.

Her tone softened. "That is what my mentor used to tell me--the Jounin that took me away...because I refused to follow the ninja path. He wanted to teach me jutsu and I ignored him. He would lecture me something about blood and responsibility... but I didnt bother to listen. My mind was made up. If my whole family was dead, there was nothing that I was interested in fighting for. I hated the ninjas. I hated my sister for being a ninja and loving a ninja. I hated the whole ninja world and its villages for stupidly running around spilling blood over petty disagreements and competitions. All I wanted was to live my life alone, seperate from the idiocy and unnecessary suffering...my mentor fought my decision at first, then convinced me that jutsu would be useful in living the hermit lifestyle I wanted. Sly dog... I was too young then to notice his trick... I began to learn jutsu in the days that we were in hiding. I was also educated in the forbidden jutsus..." Karin bit her lip. "Thats when I changed my path..."

"What do you mean?"

"Right after the five-tails attack, my mentor took me away to the clan's secret hide-out. It was there that we would lay low and wait for word from the Leaf. Only the Leaf knew that we were still alive... That _I _was still alive... our attacker wanted our entire family dead... They decided that it would be best for us to wait a year in that spot to let everyone forget about the incident and about me..." she smiled, "I wonder if they held my funeral at Konoha, just to be sure everyone was convinced...to finalize their deception... they were trying to cover up more than just my survival..."

Naruto learned foreward, his eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Suddenly, Karin seemed to wake up. She sprung to her feet and balanced on the branch, facing Naruto with a challenging expression. "I dont know what the hell it is about you and your chakra. You tried to throw me off guard, didnt you? Ha! But I'm not stupid enough to lay out anything and everything I know for the enemy," she positioned herself on the branch, her head proud. "So what is going to happen now, kid? Do I have to fight you before I can go on my way?"

Naruto looked up at her, confused and somewhat annoyed. She could be cool when she wasnt so bipolar. "I dont know what you are thinking but I can tell you this. Konoha is NOT your enemy."

Karin intuned herself into his chakra in defense but realized, with a shock, that he really was clueless... she relaxed her stance a little. Now she, too, was confused. What were these Leaf ninja trying to accomplish? "You havent told me yet what it is you and your village want from me. "

"Well, think about this," replied Naruto simply, remaining where he was sitting. "If we truly only wanted you here for interrogation, why would the Old Lady give you a room completely unguarded? Why would she even give you a bed?" _'My bed,'_ thought Naruto sourly.

Karin's eyebrows furrowed. "Who is the Old Lady?"

"The Hokage, of course."

"Who is that?"

"Well, I dont think you know her. She is Tsunade--"

Karin's face opened in shock. Before Naruto could react she had lept down to the ground and was running through the trees, away from Konoha.

"Hey!" Naruto yelled, chasing after her. "What are you doing? Hey!"

But Karin only increased her pace.

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Tsunade sighed. "So you say Karin finally woke up and now she is lost?"

Sakura nodded solemnly.

"And where is Naruto?"

Sakura's jaw clenched. "I dont know, Sensei. He ran off somewhere."

"Then he is probably looking for Karin..."

Sakura stood before the Hokage awkwardly, a troubled expression on her face. She did not say a word, but she didnt excuse herself, either.

Tsunade sensed that she was struggling with her words. "You can come out and say it, Sakura. I wont be offended."

Sakura released a long sigh and said tightly, "I dont understand your reasoning, Lord Hokage. You knew that Karin was not on good terms with the Leaf. So why did you tell Naruto to look after her? Why didnt you at least let the Anbu guard his house? Now both of their lives are at risk. I know you like to gamble, but you cant place your bets on human lives--with all due respect, Lord Hokage. Was this in your plan? For her to run off? I just dont understand what you are thinking and I'm concerned about Naruto...with all due respect..."

The Hokage closed her eyes and rested her chin on her folded hands before opening them again. "No, it was not in my plan for her to run. But I would not have the anbu interfere, especially if it meant revealing to some of the most powerful ninjas in our village that Karin is alive. And as for gambling...Life is about gambling. Life is about taking chances. Sometimes we need to take chances if we want something to happen right."

"Then please, Lord Hokage, for my peace of mind--" blurted out Sakura, "What is supposed to happen? What are you taking the chances for? Isn't our goal Madara and Sasuke? Shouldnt we be placing our bets on them instead?"

Tsunade smiled. "That is exactly why I am doing this. I bet that Karin is the key to Sasuke."

Sakura stared, wide-eyed, in shock, at her sensei.


	7. Chapter 7

"Dammit!" yelled Naruto, "Why the hell are you running? Is it Tsunade?"

"I've heard Orochimaru tell of Tsunade. She is one of the legendary Sannin, isn't she?"

"Well, yeah, but—"

"There's no way that I'll become a prisoner to Konoha!"

"Will you just hold on?"

Karin stopped abrubtly and turned to face the young ninja. "Are you going to stop me? Then fight me now! The sooner I'm finished with you, the sooner I can escape. But I don't dare face that woman. I am well aware that I'm no match for her."

Naruto came to a halt and breathed deeply, getting slightly annoyed. "We aren't going to—"

"Shut up with the lies and answer my question!" she shouted, a fierce scowl on her face.

Naruto shook his head. "What do you have against Konoha, anyway?"

"Trying to stall me with questions, aren't you?" Karin brought her palms together and pressed them to her chest, then opened them and thrust them outward. A wave of moisture, so thick that it colored the air white, flew at Naruto. He only had time to shield his face before the blast hit and slammed him through a few yards of trees.

"Ow….Ugh…what the hell…" the young ninja grumbled as he untangled himself from the cracked bark and dusted off his jumpsuit. He could feel the bruises forming.

But when Naruto looked over to where Karin was, he was shocked to see her crumpled form on the ground. He ran over and turned her on her back, lifting her head up with one arm. A jolt of fear shivered up his spine. "Hey! Lady!" She showed no signs of injury. It was as if she just collapsed.

Karin groaned and opened her eyes. "Drugged."

"What?"

"I was drugged," she drawled, "You knew all along, so you provoked me…"

Naruto rolled his eyes and looked up into the sky. "Why don't you ever make sense?"

"I'm not a fool!" She whispered. "You can act dumb all you want, but I know! There is a drug that causes a ninja to leak out any remaining chakra once that ninja uses one single jutsu technique. You've been injecting me with this drug, haven't you? Ever since I was asleep? Which means you put me in that house to make me feel safe and count on me to trust you so I would tell you everything I know!"

Naruto could only stare at Karin with wide, bewildered eyes. "Is that really true?"

Karin laughed. "You are pathetic at hiding it. But your plan has failed! I've already caught on. And I also know that now you'll probably put me in prison and do the real interrogations since this plan has failed." Karin tried to sit up, but her body would only faintly move. She gave up, looked away and sighed. "Whatever. I don't care anymore."

Naruto said with frustration, "Look, lady—I really don't know about the drug. Sakura is the medical ninja, not me. And also, what information are you talking about?"

Karin ignored him.

"Okay, look," Naruto scooped Karin into his arms and stood up. "I'll take you away from the village. Will that help to make you a little less crazy?"

Karin blinked and looked Naruto directly in the eyes. "Put me down, kid. I'm not going to be carried by a twerp like you."

"Well if you had not have been all defensive then you wouldn't be in this state right now," replied Naruto irritably. "If you are so high and mighty about being a grown up, then you should act like one."

Karin's eyes widened.

Naruto sprinted foreward and carried Karin through the trees at an alarming pace. "See? We're getting farther away from Konoha. Does that make you feel better?"

"Where are you taking me?"

"I don't know. Running away was your idea—not mine. Where do you want to go?"

Karin did not respond. She held a permanent frown on her face and remained stiff in his arms. Naruto's frustration grew. If he couldn't get Karin to trust him, then what would be her fate? He was also uncertain of how to tell her his story. She wouldn't believe him… maybe the seal on his stomach could convince her that he was that baby she had waited for?

"Hey… Karin?"

She ignored him, as usual.

"About your sister…did you ever hear what happened to the baby?"

Naruto noticed Karin's eyes soften sadly. "Heh, you would know better than me. Wouldn't you? If the child survived as a Jinchuuriki, then you would know him…He is the village's most prized tool, after all."

Naruto looked straight ahead, wondering how to tell her.

She hesitated, then asked with reluctance, "You do know him…don't you?"

Naruto clenched his teeth. "What if I did? Does that kid mean anything to you?"

Karin turned her head away, watching the blurry ground below them as they went. "My mentor told me it was a boy… he even told me his name, but I've forgotten it. I guess grief can do that to you… " Then she seemed to wake up. Her eyes hardened. "Really, kid, I can see through any of your strategies. What do you think you can accomplish by bringing me out here, all this way?"

"Like I said," replied Naruto, "It was your idea."

They traveled in silence for a long period of time. Naruto stopped at a green field, dotted with trees. Behind the field was a vast meadow of large bones protruding from the earth. The sun bled as it lowered itself, defeated, behind the black horizon of mountains.

"Has your chakra replenished?" he asked, "Can you stand?"

The young ninja tipped Karin's body so that her feet could touch the ground. The woman stood without a problem. She was staring at the meadow of bones with narrowed eyes. "Where are we?"

Naruto sat down and leaned against a tree, folding his arms over his chest and closing his eyes. "It seems you were headed in the same direction that Sasuke left."

Karin shivered at the name. "What do you mean?"

"When Sasuke left Konoha, he went this way." Naruto's face was expressionless. "A little bit farther and we'd reach the valley of the end."

Karin walked around, noticing a pile of sand and purple flowers. She turned to face Naruto. "So now what? What did you have in mind, bringing me here?"

'I don't know,' thought Naruto to himself. 'I guess this would be the right time to tell her…'

"It's getting dark, Lady Tsunade," said Shizune timidly, cradling the pink, fat pig in her arms. "Shouldn't we send the Anbu to track them down? We've not only lost a suspect—we've lost the village's Jinchuuriki as well."

Tsunade stood by the window, her hands clasped behind her back, watching the sun set. "I didn't let the Anbu know about Karin for a reason. I won't let them interfere now. If Naruto has not returned, perhaps that means that he is with her now."

"Or that he hasn't found her…" said Shizune. "Or worse… the Akatsuki are still after him, Lady Tsunade. He should not search alone. You should send reinforcements."

Tsunade sighed. "You are right, Shizune. We can't risk this much. I have faith in Naruto, but I'm aware that he still has to improve in some areas…"

"Then will you send a squad after him, Lord Hokage?"

"I have no choice. If it hasn't happened now, it may never happen…"

Karin folded her arms and leaned against the tree across from where Naruto sat. "What are you doing? Taking a nap? You think I'll still be here when you wake up?"

"No."

"No what?"

Naruto opened his eyes. "Then why don't you run?"

Karin opened her mouth as if about to make an offensive retort, but closed it soon after. She relaxed and said calmly, "My strength has returned just enough, so I can sense your chakra…I can feel…that you have no ill will toward me. Actually, before now, I could sense that. But it was this other sense, this sense of a darker power inside you that gave me reason to doubt. I don't know which chakra is really you. Perhaps you have the kind of powers that can deceive me..."

Naruto watched her calmly. "I often wondered the same thing when I was a child—which part was really me."

Karin sat down. "I don't understand you. Won't you just tell me what you want?"

"Lady," sighed Naruto, "This wasn't even my idea…heh, it wasn't either of our ideas, was it?"

Now the woman glowered at him suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what I am—what you are—it was none of our ideas. And yet, now it is. It's kind of weird how blood can do that—make you something from nothing. Make a person that was nobody to you suddenly mean everything."

Karin stood up immediately, feeling a little uneasy. "Now you are talking in riddles."

Naruto looked straight into her eyes. "If I concern you, then why are you still here?"

She was speechless.

"You know something too, don't you? You can sense something familiar in my chakra. But you don't know what…"

"I…" Karin realized it; his guard was down. Why didn't she go now? "I was only curious but… if you won't stop me, I'll—" Karin's mouth shut suddenly. She turned her head toward the yawning shadows of wilderness. There was something headed their way, at an alarming rate.

Naruto caught on to her alarm. "What is the matter?"

"It's a beast…" said Karin slowly. "It is coming directly to us. It will be here any second."

"Something…something is coming…?"

"That's odd," said Karin indifferently. "Only Orochimaru could command the snake ninjas. But he is dead."

"Huh?"

"It's a snake." Karin lept to the top of a tree.

Naruto followed her, a serious look in his eyes. "Do you think it is deliberately coming for us?"

"Shut up and hide, will you? It's almost here."


End file.
